The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 77: The Downfall of The Ro’an Empire

Chapter 77: The Downfall of The Ro’an Empire

As midnight fell, the knights, along with the healer and his assistant, gathered on the main deck and huddled around a large cauldron, taking a moment to enjoy some freshly boiled corn. Everyone was present except for Eric.

As they munched on the sweet kernels, they chatted idly about various topics, careful to avoid bringing up the day’s event. The commotion had left them all vigilant, and they feared Kyren’s wrath would soar again if they were caught discussing it.

None of them wanted to risk incurring the commander’s anger, especially given the gravity of the offence committed. It was known that disrespecting the king, Kyren’s brother, was a severe misdeed.

Eric came over from the cabin later on. As he appeared and joined the group, a sudden silence filled the air before they continued the conversation. The knight didn’t say a word at first. As if knowing what he wanted, Rafe held out a corn cob, and he started eating it.

The second-in-command knight paused for a moment before speaking up. "I know what you’re all thinking about. It’s all a misunderstanding, and I’ve cleared it up," he said.

Damon leaned forward, curious. "Excuse me, Sir Navin, but what was all the fuss about? Sir Parker and I were over at the stables and couldn’t make out much except for the commander’s hollering. Nobody seems to want to talk about it. Could you give us some insight?" he asked.

Luke nodded in agreement, eager to hear Eric’s explanation.

"Well, it turns out that the shipmaster and the crew mistook Lady Raychard for the Ro’an Emperor’s descendant. They saw her green eyes and addressed her as ’Her Imperial Highness’. And as you know it, the commander was not pleased about such a mistake," the knight revealed.

Luke’s expression turned solemn. "Good grief! Were the crew reprimanded for their actions?"

The second-in-command knight let out a small sigh of relief.

"No. The commander agreed not to punish them this time as long as they didn’t repeat it. They’re lucky we’re out here in the middle of the sea. Punishing them would only disadvantage us throughout this voyage," he said.

Damon nodded, trying to wrap his head around the situation. "So, let me get this straight. All of this was due to her eye colour?" he asked, seeking confirmation.

Eric nodded.

"That’s right. There’s a myth among the seafarers called ’The Legend of the Emerald Eyes’. It’s about the first Ro’an Emperor, who was said to be the strongest of all the emperors and a great seafarer," he explained.

"He conquered the seven seas from the pirates before returning to the land, reuniting the territories and becoming the first emperor. Thus, being superstitious, the shipmaster and the crew thought she was his descendant as she bears the same eye colour," added Eric.

"See! What did I tell you? She’s one of them, right?" Ayden intervened, his eyes beaming with excitement.

"I’m sorry to kill your hope, but unfortunately, she’s not. The commander himself has confirmed it with his magic sense ability. She has no magic attribute," said Eric.

"But... think about it! Her ability to learn the Ro’an language, her eye colour, and also the way she commanded the alpha of the wolves, wouldn’t that match already?" the assistant healer defended his belief.

"Ayden, all Ro’an Emperors’ descendants have great combat skills and magic abilities. Thus, their capabilities are very different from the lady’s. We’ve talked about this!" countered Rafe.

"Commanding the alpha? What do you mean by that?" asked Luke, squinting at Ayden.

Feeling a little disappointed by the healer’s rebuke, the assistant healer drooped his shoulders and slowly said, "That day, during the attack of the wolves, I saw her ordering the alpha to disperse, and the beast did promptly." His voice dwindled as he divulged.

"Ooo... So that was what you didn’t want to tell us the other day! You surely were delusional!" Luke laughed at him.

"No, I was not! I know what I saw!" Ayden rebuked.

Eli, who sat beside the assistant healer, patted his shoulder a few times. "Don’t worry, Mr Norman. It’s normal to experience hallucinations when we feel scared. It’s a common occurrence for those who have been on the battlefields. I’ve heard similar stories many times before."

The assistant healer held his breath and was about to express his opinion. Nevertheless, the persistent refusal and disbelief he encountered ultimately caused him to abandon the idea and keep his thoughts to himself. He continued eating the corn without any further argument.

"Now, this reminded me of the carriage driver the other day," continued Eric.

"What’s with him?" asked Damon.

"He was trying to tell me about the same myth. He probably used to work on a ship before and was familiar with it. It was difficult to communicate since he was mute. So, he sketched it on the ground. I finally got what he meant in the end, except for the octopus drawing." Eric laughed.

"Octopus?" Rafe squinted at the knight.

"He drew an animal, and I thought it was an octopus. When I talked to the shipmaster and his crew, it appeared that they believed the Ro’an Emperor’s descendants could summon the Kraken. To put it precisely, they can summon all kinds of beasts," the knight recounted.

"How stupid can you be for being unable to differentiate between an octopus and a Kraken?" sneered the healer.

"Hey, his drawing was awful, just like your face!" retorted Eric.

Rafe pouted at the insult.

"I understand that the lady’s eye colour is quite rare and beautiful, but to make such a claim solely based on that is a bit too much," Eli pointed out.

"Yeah, I told them that, but they hesitated to believe me initially. However, it all settled already," Eric reassured his companions.

Eli’s voice was still tinged with disbelief as he spoke up. "It’s crazy to think the crew was bowing and addressing her like that. If she really were a descendant, her status would be even more prestigious than that of the Cassian royals!"

His eyes widened as he considered the implications of such a possibility.

Luke couldn’t help but chuckle at Eli’s musings. "Then our commander would be a prince consort!" he joked, eliciting small laughter from his companions.

Ayden spoke up again, "The Ro’an Emperor once owned the entire continent, and his descendants still hold a certain degree of prestige and respect." He added, "If it weren’t for the betrayal of the four lords, it might still be thriving today. The southern land, in particular, would likely be the most prosperous of all."

Rafe, who had been listening, relayed his thoughts to the conversation. "It’s interesting to think about how the Raychards came to be the rulers of Cassian. They were originally the warriors of the empire, and it was only at the request of the last empress that they took on the mantle of kingship."

"Yes. She blessed our kings, which is why Cassian is also called ’the blessed land’," stated Eric.

Rafe added his insights, "From my time in Engarth, it seemed that the original story of the empire’s collapse had been manipulated to cover up the betrayal of the four lords who became the first kings of each kingdom. Sadly, the empire was no longer respected by their people."

Damon’s expression turned dark as the conversation took a sombre turn. "It’s a tragedy that the empire fell to such treachery," he said, his voice heavy with emotion.

Rafe nodded solemnly. "Yes, and the assassination of the emperor was particularly gruesome."

The group momentarily fell into contemplative silence as they knew about the empire’s downfall.

Ayden’s voice was thoughtful as he said, "It would be wonderful if the Ro’an Empire could be revived."

The healer let out a weary sigh. "Unfortunately, Her Imperial Majesty, the last empress and the rest of the descendants decided to leave."

"I know you are excited about them, Mr Norman. But we all know they won’t return. The death of the last emperor devastated them," said Luke, looking at Ayden.

"Don’t they have any resentment towards the enemies? They could crush them with their strength and abilities," asked Eli.

"The Ro’an Emperor’s descendants are few, and even with the Cassian army, we cannot match the numbers of the four kingdoms. Moreover, the lord of the south wields dark magic that killed the last emperor and most of the other descendants. It would be another massacre," explained Rafe.

"Only someone as powerful as the first emperor can defeat such magic. Her Imperial Majesty didn’t have much choice too. She was heavily pregnant, so fleeing for her and the child’s safety was a priority," he added.

Eli, being curious, asked, "If His Imperial Majesty was killed, why didn’t the four kingdoms attack the northern region afterwards?"

"The last empress cast a barrier to the northern regions before departing. At that time, the lord of the south was exhausted from his overwhelming use of dark magic, and his army was severely affected, so they couldn’t pass it," replied Ayden.

"We could’ve taken that advantage and attacked them!" exclaimed the young knight.

"Yes. But Her Imperial Majesty made our first king promise not to wage war unless we were attacked. She didn’t want any of the northerners to be sacrificed over another bloodbath," the assistant healer continued.

"The barrier stood strong for many years, so no war broke out after that. Also, the four lords were busy establishing their kingdoms, so they chose to cease hostilities. In time, the barrier faded. That’s why, during the peak of prosperity on the continent, the curse of His Imperial Majesty emerged, affecting even Cassian," said Rafe.

Damon spoke slowly, "The Laradie plague..."

Rafe nodded solemnly, "Yes. Also, the curse caused the southern land to deteriorate into a wasteland. Now, most parts of their kingdom are no longer habitable."

"They could’ve used their dark magic to revive their land if they were so good at it!" Eli scoffed.

"It’s impossible. Dark magic can only be used for malevolent purposes. It can never lead to prosperity, as it stems from evil deeds. Moreover, anyone who practices it will undoubtedly face severe consequences. Besides, it’s been ages since magic existed in our continent," explained Rafe.

Luke nodded in agreement, but Eric interjected, his tone optimistic, "Let’s not dwell on the past anymore. It will only bring despair if we talk about the ruined empire. Anyway, even if Lady Raychard is not the emperor’s descendant, I’m still happy our commander has married her."

"Since their marriage, I’ve noticed a change in the commander’s behaviour. He’s still stern and intimidating, but he only gets angry when it comes to matters related to Lady Raychard’s safety. In the past, any insult to His Majesty, the king, would have resulted in a bloodbath," said Luke.

The group chuckled knowingly at his words, all too familiar with the commander’s fierce protectiveness of his wife.

"I’ve noticed the same thing. The commander has definitely softened since his marriage to Lady Raychard. I believe they are a perfect match for each other," said Damon.

Luke nodded and said, "It’s true that they are quite opposite in terms of their characters and physical appearances. But that’s precisely why they fit so well together, like puzzle pieces."

Eli looked intrigued and asked, "You think so too?"

Luke continued to explain his thoughts. "Yes. The commander is strong, fierce, and intimidating, while Lady Raychard is gentle, caring, and frail. Physically, he’s tall and muscular, while she’s petite and soft. It’s their differences that make them complementary to each other."

Eric chuckled, injecting a note of humour into the conversation. "I wonder how she handles him at night, with such a big size difference," he said. The rest of the men shifted uncomfortably, their faces turning red at the knight’s remark.

Rafe scolded Eric sternly. "Hey! The commander’s intimate relationship with his wife should not be openly discussed here!"

The knight shrugged it off, his tone light. "Calm down, Rafael. I’m just joking around. We all know how crazy the commander is about his wife. His eyes were full of lust whenever he looked at her," he said, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

The statement elicited another round of laughter from the group. Their conversation quickly turned to a different subject afterwards.

Just then, a bloodcurdling scream pierced through the cabin, startling them. They exchanged worried glances and, without a word, rushed towards the source of the sound to investigate.

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